Turkey's Kurds wary of path to peace after PKK declares ceasefire
The militants' ceasefire announcement could mark a significant boost to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, two days after their imprisoned leader called for the group to disarm.
On the streets of Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast, some of those who had lost relatives fighting on the side of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, were wary of placing their faith in the Turkish government. Turkey has yet to make a detailed response to the PKK's ceasefire announcement.
'We do not trust them, they said the same things before, nothing has changed. Twelve years ago they said peace, peace, peace. Then there was a ceasefire and then we saw what happened,' said Turkan Duman, 56, referring to a previous peace process that broke down in 2015.
She said her son is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for PKK membership. He was jailed after crossing the Syrian border to fight with Kurdish forces against the Islamic State group at Kobani in late 2014.
Duman also lost two brothers who were killed fighting Turkish security forces in the mid-2010s near Lice, a town to the north of Diyarbakir where the PKK was founded in 1978.
Kiymet Soresoglu, who like Duman is part of the Peace Mothers' Association, also expressed doubt over the government's intentions. 'Of course we want peace to be established. We are afraid because they make plans or (could) play a trick,' she said.
Soresoglu, 55, also has a son serving a prison term for being a member of the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
He was wounded in fighting in Diyarbakir's downtown Sur district when the earlier ceasefire broke down 10 years ago. 'There is not a single inch of land left in Kurdistan where the blood of martyrs has not been shed,' she said.
'If they tell us to lay down our weapons without expecting anything in return, we, the guerrillas and mothers of martyrs, will not accept this. We would be the ones that would take the weapons of our children and continue the struggle.'
Sitting alongside her friend, Duman added: 'But we want peace. Peace so that no more blood is shed, it is a sin.'
Since the PKK launched its armed campaign against the Turkish state in 1984, tens of thousands have died. Exact casualties are difficult to calculate but the International Crisis Group says 7,152 have been killed since fighting resumed in July 2015, including 646 civilians, 1,494 members of the security forces and 4,786 PKK militants.
Saturday's ceasefire announcement was preceeded two days earlier by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's call for the group to disarm and disband.
Vahap Coskun, a law lecturer at Diyarbakir's Dicle University, said this indicated how closely the PKK leadership based in northern Iraq was in step with Ocalan despite his 25 years behind bars.
'A very high threshold has been crossed in terms of disarmament,' he said, adding that he expected the PKK to move swiftly to hold a congress to dissolve itself.
'Unlike the last solution process, this solution process is being handled with utmost sensitivity regarding the use of time,' Coskun added.
Across the mountainous Iraqi border, which for years saw PKK insurgents slip into Turkey to stage attacks, Kurds in Sulaymaniyah welcomed the ceasefire with hopeful expectation.
Najmadin Bahaadin described it as a 'historical moment' different from previous peace deals.
'It is not like the previous experiments where the PKK stopped the war several times and demanded peace but (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and Turkish policy were not convinced,' he said. 'It seems they both reached to this conviction now.'
Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, is the city closest to the PKK's headquarters in the Qandil mountains and many locals support the group.
Awat Rashid questioned whether Ocalan had been pressured by his captors to make the peace bid.
'If Mr. Ocalan was in the Qandil mountains, on top of his leadership council, would he make this peace decision? This is the question that should be asked,' he said. 'To what extent you think this is reliable and it can be trusted?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
DeSantis announces plans for second immigration detention facility in north Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility at a state prison in north Florida, as a federal judge decides the fate of the state's holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of Jacksonville. It is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said. After opening the Everglades facility last month, DeSantis justified opening the second detention center, dubbed 'Deportation Depot' by the state, by saying President Donald Trump's administration needs the additional capacity to hold and deport more immigrants. 'There is a demand for this,' DeSantis said. 'I'm confident it will be filled.'
Fox News
24 minutes ago
- Fox News
Armenia and Azerbaijan leaders seek to ease Russian and Iranian concerns after US-brokered peace deal
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan brushed off any threat of backlash from neighboring powers Iran and Russia following a U.S.-brokered peace accord – an agreement hailed as the start of a new era, ending more than three decades of war and hostility in the South Caucasus. In exclusive Fox News Digital interviews, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev both praised President Donald Trump and his envoy for their role in brokering the framework agreement. They emphasized that the deal, which promised increased regional economic integration and political cooperation, is not directed at any third party – and may actually provide strategic advantages to Moscow and Tehran. "This is not a zero-sum game," Pashinyan said. The agreement "contains quite tangible benefits for Iran and for Russia as well." "Iran would have access through railway from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea and Russia and Iran will have opportunity to have a railway connection between the two countries." Russia – a long-standing ally of Armenia and a presence in the region through its border guards – welcomed peace but sent a warning about U.S. involvement. Its foreign ministry described the accord as "positive," expressing hope for stability in the Caucasus, but warned that foreign involvement should complement, not complicate, the peace process. The ministry emphasized that regional solutions should include neighbors like Russia, Iran and Turkey, and cautioned against repeating the pitfalls of Western-led interventions in the Middle East. Aliyev echoed Pashinyan's remarks and declined to see U.S. diplomatic involvement as a provocation toward Moscow. "It will be very difficult for any country – whether far away or in our region – to say something bad about today's agreement," he told Fox News Digital. "We've taken the final step toward peace." He added: "It's not against anyone. It's a connectivity project which will be one of the most important parts of international transportation." At the heart of the pact is the planned Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) – a roughly 27-mile transit route linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, passing through Armenian territory. Armenia has granted the U.S. exclusive development rights via a 99‑year lease, allowing for infrastructure projects such as roads, rail lines, pipelines, fiber optics and possibly power transmission, aimed at opening new trade and transit paths in the region. This bold move shifts regional dynamics, offering Washington a powerful strategic foothold while bypassing traditional Russian and Iranian routes. Iran, in contrast, has responded with hostility. Ali Akbar Velayati, a key advisor to Iran's supreme leader, warned of serious consequences if the "Zangezur Corridor" – as Iran calls the route – is enacted, asserting that it "will not become a passage owned by Trump, but rather a graveyard for Trump's mercenaries," according to the semi-official news agency Tasnim. Iran has even signaled readiness to use military means to block the route. Domestically, Pashinyan faces opposition. Armenian nationalists, already fierce critics of any deal with Azerbaijan, view the agreement as a betrayal. The Republican Party of Armenia has declared that Pashinyan lacks the mandate to sign such a treaty, demanding full transparency and an end to concessions made under external pressure. Pashinyan, however, is undeterred. He said the accord could transform Armenia's investment climate and attract foreign capital. "We expect to have some criticism, and that's part of democracy," he told Fox News Digital. "But we are confident we made the right decision." Once the dominant power in the South Caucasus, Russia is losing its grip. The war in Ukraine, mounting sanctions and resource strains have depleted its regional influence, enabling the U.S., Turkey and the European Union to expand their diplomatic reach. Relations with Azerbaijan particularly soured following the December 2024 downing of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Aliyev accused Moscow of accidentally shooting the passenger jet with Russian air defenses during operations against Ukrainian drones, killing 38 people. Aliyev told Fox News Digital he didn't believe the incident was an intentional attack by Russian leadership, but demanded a formal admission of guilt, punishment for those responsible and full compensation – moves Russia has resisted, apologizing only vaguely for what they called a "tragic incident." And amid political divisions, Pashinyan finds himself in a conflict with one of the country's most respected institutions – the Armenian Apostolic Church, where figures like Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan have led public protests against Pashinyan's decision to return border villages to Azerbaijan. On June 25, authorities arrested Galstanyan, a leading figure in the church and of the "Sacred Struggle" opposition movement, accusing him of orchestrating a terrorist plot to overthrow the government. Armenia's Investigative Committee alleged he had recruited more than 1,000 former police and military personnel to stage bombings, disrupt power grids and paralyze transportation networks. Pashinyan assured that the judiciary system acted independently of his government and "in full accordance with the law of Armenia, respecting all the rights of all people."
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump's nod to Europe on a future peace force for Ukraine vastly improves its chances of success
BRUSSELS (AP) — The greenlight given by President Donald Trump on U.S. backup for a European-led force to police any future peace agreement in Ukraine vastly improves the likelihood it might succeed. European leaders said Trump offered his backing during a call they held ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The effectiveness of the operation, drawn up by the so-called coalition of the willing of around 30 countries supporting Ukraine, hinges on U.S. backup with airpower or other military equipment that European armed forces do not have, or only in short supply. EU leaders regularly have underlined how the United States is 'crucial' to the success of the security operation dubbed Multinational Force Ukraine. But the Trump administration has long refused to commit, perhaps keeping its participation on hold as leverage in talks with Russia. After a meeting Wednesday between Trump and European leaders, European Council President Antonio Costa welcomed 'the readiness of the United States to share with Europe the efforts to reinforce security conditions once we obtain a durable and just peace for Ukraine.' French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had insisted NATO must not be part of these security guarantees, but the U.S. leader agreed 'the United States and all the (other) parties involved should take part.' 'It's a very important clarification,' Macron said. Trump did not publicly confirm he would allow U.S. backup, and no details of possible U.S. support were made public, but U.S. Vice President JD Vance sat in on the coalition meeting for the first time. The Multinational Force Ukraine More than 200 military planners have worked for months on ways to ensure a future peace should the war, now in its fourth year, finally halt. Ukraine's armed forces also have been involved, and British personnel have led reconnaissance work inside Ukraine. The exact size of the force has not been made public, although Britain has said it could number 10,000 to 30,000 troops. It must be enough to deter Russian forces, but also of a realistic size for nations that shrank their militaries after the Cold War and are now rearming. The 'reassurance' force's mission 'will be to strengthen Ukraine's defenses on the land, at sea, and in the air because the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the best deterrent against future Russian aggression,' U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey told lawmakers last month. 'It will secure Ukraine's skies by using aircraft,' Healey said, 'and it will support safer seas by bolstering the Black Sea Task Force with additional specialist teams.' Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey launched that naval force a year ago to deal with mines in Black Sea waters. The force initially will have its headquarters in Paris before moving to London next year. A coordination headquarters in Kyiv will be involved once hostilities cease and it deploys. The impact of US participation European efforts to set up the force have been seen as a first test of the continent's willingness to defend itself and its interests, given Trump administration warnings that Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in future. Still, U.S. forces clearly provide a deterrent that the Europeans cannot muster. Details of what the U.S. might contribute were unknown, and Trump has changed his mind in the past, so it remains to be seen whether this signal will be enough to persuade more countries within the coalition to provide troops. Greece has publicly rejected doing so. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last month that those discussions were 'somewhat divisive' and distracted from the goal of ending the war as soon as possible. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said Rome won't contribute troops, but she previously has underlined the importance of working with the U.S. on ending the conflict and called for the participation of an American delegation in force coordination meetings.
